Thank you so much Kate. I am in the process of leaving my church after 12 years. Prior to that, I spent 30 in my previous church of the same denomination. It is a mainline church that has completely embraced woke ideology. I have longed for connection and mentors in my church and thought there was something wrong with me when I couldn’t find either. Now I no longer think this was the case. I am elderly now and the thought of going to a different church is very challenging. I am thankful for many online resources and books that not only help with my Bible reading but also discerning the truth. The closest Christian women I know are from my Mom’s in Prayer group and I am thankful to fellowship with them. Please pray for me about finding a church.
I do pray you are able to find a Bible-believing, discerning church but they are few and far between these days. I know not everyone even has access to one depending on where they live. You are right, there are good resources online. In some cases, that is the only option. I pray that God will lead you to the right one. I’m just grateful you realized your church wasn’t right and had the courage to leave. Many don’t. These are trying times for sure.
Thank you, Kate. I wish I could recommend a church to my daughter and her young family, but I don’t want her to be led astray. I know there are no perfect churches but yes, these are trying times. Just praying my children know their need for Jesus, have a love for his Word, and find other believing friends. Continuing to pray for all of these concerns and so thankful that he not only hears our prayers but does much more than we think possible.
The order should begin with “Pray” if it is a prioritized list.
The rest are somewhat of the same category because a Bible teaching church should have a mentorship/discipleship program (formally or informally) and learning how to study the Bible would be part of it.
The gospels (other than John) are more complex than a young Christian might be able to understand alone. For example, Matthew was written to Hebrews during the Church age, about the Messiah coming during the Mosaic covenant, to proclaim His Messiahship that was rejected and resulted in the crucifixion. Matthew answers the question, “If the Messiah came, why don’t we live in the Messianic kingdom.” So, I would start other places.
Thanks, Michael, for your comments. I always appreciate other people’s opinions! It wasn’t a prioritized list in any order. When you gather many opinions, not everyone will agree on everything but we can learn from each other! Thanks for contributing to the conversation!
I have a comment regarding the Bible study recommendation. I agree 100% that the four Gospels are an excellent place to start for new Christians. Specifically I recommend starting with the gospel of John, then read the other Gospels. I respectfully disagree, however, with the statement in Kate's post about Paul's letter to the Romans being beneficial for beginners. Having accepted Christ as my Savior almost 30 years ago, I need to point out that Romans is one of the most theologically complex of Paul's letters (epistles). After reading the Gospels, I recommend reading Paul's two letters to Timothy, the wisdom biblical book authored by James and/or the book of Hebrews (human author unknown).
Thank you Blake for giving your opinion too! I do agree on 1 & 2 Timothy, James, and Hebrews as being good books for beginners. Thanks for giving yet another perspective as a seasoned Christian!
Thanks, Kate, for this post. You captured the most important points of encouragement for new believers. I just finished praying that the Lord will bring new believers to your Substack, which should be on the list of resources for new believers who are on Substack. Again, "thanks" for addressing this issue. -Stephen
Thank you so much!
Very helpful advice Kate for living the Christian life!
Thanks Jeaninne!
I believe the original King James Version is the best because nothing has been changed or omitted.
Thank you so much Kate. I am in the process of leaving my church after 12 years. Prior to that, I spent 30 in my previous church of the same denomination. It is a mainline church that has completely embraced woke ideology. I have longed for connection and mentors in my church and thought there was something wrong with me when I couldn’t find either. Now I no longer think this was the case. I am elderly now and the thought of going to a different church is very challenging. I am thankful for many online resources and books that not only help with my Bible reading but also discerning the truth. The closest Christian women I know are from my Mom’s in Prayer group and I am thankful to fellowship with them. Please pray for me about finding a church.
I suggest an independent Baptist church if have one in your area.
I do pray you are able to find a Bible-believing, discerning church but they are few and far between these days. I know not everyone even has access to one depending on where they live. You are right, there are good resources online. In some cases, that is the only option. I pray that God will lead you to the right one. I’m just grateful you realized your church wasn’t right and had the courage to leave. Many don’t. These are trying times for sure.
Thank you, Kate. I wish I could recommend a church to my daughter and her young family, but I don’t want her to be led astray. I know there are no perfect churches but yes, these are trying times. Just praying my children know their need for Jesus, have a love for his Word, and find other believing friends. Continuing to pray for all of these concerns and so thankful that he not only hears our prayers but does much more than we think possible.
The order should begin with “Pray” if it is a prioritized list.
The rest are somewhat of the same category because a Bible teaching church should have a mentorship/discipleship program (formally or informally) and learning how to study the Bible would be part of it.
The gospels (other than John) are more complex than a young Christian might be able to understand alone. For example, Matthew was written to Hebrews during the Church age, about the Messiah coming during the Mosaic covenant, to proclaim His Messiahship that was rejected and resulted in the crucifixion. Matthew answers the question, “If the Messiah came, why don’t we live in the Messianic kingdom.” So, I would start other places.
Overall, nice list.
Thanks, Michael, for your comments. I always appreciate other people’s opinions! It wasn’t a prioritized list in any order. When you gather many opinions, not everyone will agree on everything but we can learn from each other! Thanks for contributing to the conversation!
I have a comment regarding the Bible study recommendation. I agree 100% that the four Gospels are an excellent place to start for new Christians. Specifically I recommend starting with the gospel of John, then read the other Gospels. I respectfully disagree, however, with the statement in Kate's post about Paul's letter to the Romans being beneficial for beginners. Having accepted Christ as my Savior almost 30 years ago, I need to point out that Romans is one of the most theologically complex of Paul's letters (epistles). After reading the Gospels, I recommend reading Paul's two letters to Timothy, the wisdom biblical book authored by James and/or the book of Hebrews (human author unknown).
Thank you Blake for giving your opinion too! I do agree on 1 & 2 Timothy, James, and Hebrews as being good books for beginners. Thanks for giving yet another perspective as a seasoned Christian!
Thanks, Kate, for this post. You captured the most important points of encouragement for new believers. I just finished praying that the Lord will bring new believers to your Substack, which should be on the list of resources for new believers who are on Substack. Again, "thanks" for addressing this issue. -Stephen
Thanks for that, your kind words are appreciated! It was so fun to get so much feedback, I'm going to have to try that again!
Keep me in the loop, Kate. I will use your research for our Institute. Good stuff!